Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much funding has been designated for mesothelioma research in 2014 and 2015.

In 2013-14, the Medical Research Council (MRC) spent £1.7 million on mesothelioma research, and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) spent £0.4 million on this topic through its research programmes, research centres and units, and research fellowships. Total spend by the NIHR on mesothelioma research is higher than this because expenditure by the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) on this topic cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure.

The amount of funding designated for mesothelioma research in 2014 and 2015 is not available. The usual practice of the NIHR and MRC is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics; research proposals in all areas can be considered for the funding available.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including mesothelioma. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The NIHR has highlighted to the research community that it wants to encourage research applications in mesothelioma and we hope this will lead to an increased level of research activity.